


the archer

by imposterhuman



Series: lover [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Everyone Needs A Hug, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Genius Tony Stark, M/M, Self-Sacrificing Tony Stark, Sneaky Steve Rogers, Steve Angst, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Angst, Tony Has Issues, Tony Needs a Hug, Unhealthy Relationships, but so little fluff im sorry, theyll work it out but as it stands they need to do a lot of talking before we can call it healthy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-15 23:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21026459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: “I have no idea why you’re even still here,” Tony said angrily, slamming his book shut. They weren’t getting any math done, anyway. Just arguing about something stupid, something neither of them would back down from even to spare themselves the pain of it. “I-”Steve cut him off with a kiss. He kissed like he was drowning and Tony was his oxygen, fast and desperate and messy. It was too much and too little all at once, leaving Tony wide-eyed and gasping.“That’s why,” Steve pulled away, voice gravelly. He gathered his things in seconds, while Tony was remained stock-still in his seat. “Thanks for the help, Tony.”





	the archer

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place directly after "i forgot that you existed", and you probably need to read the rest of the series (or at least that and "its nice to have a friend" first to understand it)
> 
> enjoy!!

Tony went to the library, textbooks clutched in white-knuckled hands, ready for a fight. He was under no illusions that a smile and an olive branch in the form of tutoring would fix his friendship with Steve, not after the years of silence after his own scathing words. They might have been friends, once, but there was no mistaking them for anything but enemies now.

(He had never pretended not to be a drama queen. In reality, they were more like awkward acquaintances that weren’t meant to reconnect. But damn it, Tony missed his friend.)

He took a table in the far corner, away from the librarians who always glared at him for talking, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Admittedly, he was a little early. He shuffled his papers and flipped through his textbook to pass time.

It took another ten minutes for Steve to arrive, hair damp from an after-practice shower. He spotted Tony and practically beamed as he made his way over.

“Thank you again for this,” he said by way of greeting, taking the seat Tony’s left. “I’m absolutely hopeless at math.”

“I noticed,” Tony said dryly. “How much do you know? Like, where should we start?”

“The beginning?” Steve suggested with a shrug. “I’m not even sure what this chapter is on, to be honest.”

“Oh, god,” Tony resisted the urge to bury his head in his hands. “Are you joking?”

Steve looked at him innocently, spreading his hands. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“I am in hell,” whispered Tony to himself. “Open your textbook; we’ll start with limits.”

It took several hours in which he seriously contemplated walking out (no one person could be that  _ obstinate  _ in the face of math. It just wasn’t possible), but by the end, Steve had a fairly decent grasp on limits, enough to complete his quiz corrections. Which he had done, supervised by Tony to stop him from making dumb mistakes. Overall, Tony was counting it as a win.

Sure, they’d been kicked out of the library for shouting, but Steve had made sure to confirm the same time tomorrow to meet up again. At the very least, it wasn’t a total loss.

Tony would take it.

\---

Tony was a pusher.

He kept pushing, pushing, waiting for Steve to show his dark side, waiting for Steve to  _ snap _ . He needed something to warn him away, so red flag that would allow him to back off for good. 

He needed Steve to be bad for him, because while Tony had a tendency towards self-destruction, he preferred not be be destroyed by others. He was his own worst enemy and he wanted to keep it that way.

But Steve refused to play along. Sure, he snarked and shouted, but never more than Tony did. He never started it, never really escalated it. And Tony knew it was a little fucked up, but he fell even harder at that. 

For all he pushed, though, Steve’s math grade kept increasing, so neither of them could call off the tutoring if it was working. 

So Tony worked insults into derivatives to hide his heart eyes day after day and prayed that Steve couldn’t see right through him like he used to be able to. 

(If the looks Steve sent him were any indication, he still could.)

\---

Tony wasn’t sure why they bothered to call it tutoring anymore. It wasn’t like they did anything but fight. It was all he and Steve could do, push each other’s buttons. If it didn’t  _ hurt  _ so damn much, Tony would’ve found it a little funny. As it stood, though, it ached somewhere deep in his chest, right under his ribcage. 

He still fought, though, still gave Steve nothing but his sharp edges, because it was all he knew how to do at that point. 

“I have no idea why you’re even still here,” he said angrily, slamming his book shut. They weren’t getting any math done, anyway. Just arguing about something stupid, something neither of them would back down from even to spare themselves the pain of it. “I-”

Steve cut him off with a kiss. He kissed like he was drowning and Tony was his oxygen, fast and desperate and messy. It was too much and too little all at once, leaving Tony wide-eyed and gasping. 

“That’s why,” Steve pulled away, voice gravelly. He gathered his things in seconds, while Tony was remained stock-still in his seat. “Thanks for the help, Tony.”

It took a moment after Steve left for Tony’s brain to reboot. Steve kissed him.  _ Steve  _ kissed  _ him _ . Steve  _ kissed _ him. No matter where he put the emphasis, it didn’t make sense, and the one person who could explain it had fled. 

Tony abandoned his things on the library table, running after him. He was a genius; he needed answers. Surely there was an answer that made sense somewhere in Steve’s head.

“Hey!” he called, out of breath from the sprint. He stopped right behind Steve in the middle of the sidewalk. Steve turned to face him, looking for all the world like a man on his way to his execution. “You don’t get to just walk away after pulling shit like that. Explain.”

Steve smiled sadly. “I like you,” he said plainly. “Have for years. That’s why I’m failing math, why I’m still clinging to every look you give me, why I kissed you. I like you, Tony, probably more than I should, and definitely more than you like me.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Tony all but growled. He shut down the self-deprecating voice in his head by pulling Steve down to meet him, pressing their lips together. It wasn’t neat, all bumping noses and clicking teeth, but it was  _ Steve  _ and it was perfect. 

Steve broke for air first, staring at Tony with wide eyes. “So, no words, but my tongue is okay?” he joked breathlessly. 

“I, uh, like you, too,” Tony said awkwardly, all of his confidence abandoning him. He stared up at Steve and willed his blush to disappear.

“I was under the impression you hated me,” Steve said, hope blooming in his voice.

Tony winced. “Yeah, we’ll probably have to talk about that at some point,” he said. “But, uh, I don’t. I never did. I just… You deserved better than me, so I made sure you got it.”

“You’re an idiot,” Steve shook his head, putting a gentle hand on Tony’s cheek. “Did you even think to ask me what I wanted? Because, Tony, I wanted  _ you _ .”

“I fucked up,” Tony admitted quietly. “But you can’t say it didn’t pan out for you. You got all your friends, the football team, popularity. You’re better off.”

“I lost my best friend,” said Steve. He bit his lip. “It wasn’t worth it for me. Was it for you?”

If it was just the size of Steve’s smile, the volume of his laugh, then Tony could have said yes. Because Steve seemed so  _ happy _ . But Tony was selfish. “No,” he whispered. “It wasn’t worth it.”

“Then let’s fix it,” Steve resolved. He was always too forgiving, always too positive. He was willing to take Tony back on blind optimism alone. “Don’t push me away this time. Let me stay.”

Tony was selfish. He knew how this would end, with tears and pain and him all alone again. He knew it would be better for Steve to stay away all together, to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. The momentary hurt would fade into relief when Steve realized the bullet he was dodging. 

“Please,” he fell against Steve, letting the taller boy wrap him in a hug that felt like home. “Please stay.”

“I will,” Steve kissed the top of his head. “Promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> if the relationship seems a lil wonky right now, that would be because it is. dont ride off into the sunset with the person youve spent two years repressing your feelings for and fighting with, guys! next installment, theres gonna be some goopy feelings talk. theyre gonna work shit out, i promise
> 
> comments and kudos make me happy!!
> 
> yell at me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)


End file.
